It’s an almost impossible task to find anyone who can match Team Penske’s motorsports resume. At this point, with 44 championships across multiple forms of motorsports, it’s a challenge to find new feats.
While Team Penske didn’t secure its record extending 18th NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in 2023, for the first time it earned a second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series title with Ryan Blaney last November, following Joey Logano in 2022. Team Penske had won three Cup Series championships before but never were in repeat fashion.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES side of the building is feasting off that recent NASCAR championship energy. It’s contagious.
“It was really great to see Ryan (Blaney) seal the championship,” Josef Newgarden said. “I think that is going to be a big catalyst for him as an individual, but it's also a continuing catalyst for our team.
“That's a big deal. They went back-to-back in the NASCAR championship, which is not easy to do.”
Newgarden and Blaney teamed to help Team Penske accomplish another “first-time” moment last Memorial Day weekend.
Newgarden won the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 28. A day later, Blaney won the rain delayed Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, giving Team Penske its first Memorial Day weekend sweep.
Despite 18 prior Indianapolis 500 triumphs, Team Penske had never won “the double” on the same weekend.
Those 2023 accolades are nice to celebrate, but they get left behind in memories. The 2024 season is a new one with a fresh slate ahead.
Following a season like 2023 could be a challenge, but so far, it’s off to a great start for Roger Penske’s team.
On Jan. 28, Team Penske won the Rolex 24 At Daytona for the first time since 1969. On Wednesday night, Logano gave Team Penske its first Daytona 500 pole. The race is Sunday.
These feats have resonated with the entire company. The morale within the organization is as good as ever to reach another level of greatness.
“Oh, no doubt,” Newgarden said. “I don't know what it was like pre-my time, but I think the collaboration has never been greater in our team across the board. We're really trying to leverage every person, every position that we have across motorsports to elevate the whole thing.
“On our side, we won the Indianapolis 500, which had been a thorn for the last three, four years. You think about that, too, we go -- at Team Penske we go three or four years without finding Victory Lane, and that's deemed unacceptable.
“There's just a standard that we definitely live by, and you've got to love it. The morale and the excitement – I've never seen it better. I don't think it was ever bad, but I've definitely never seen it better.”
Will Power, who has raced for Team Penske every year since 2009, agreed with that notion.
“Obviously, the process has changed, the competition changes, and you evolve with it, and Penske is very good at being ahead of the curve on that stuff,” Power said. “It's a good, tight-knit team. And I wouldn't say as far as the number of people that work within the team, it's run lean but very efficiently, so everyone works very well together.
“Winning two Cup championships back-to-back is very big. The team certainly is firing on all cylinders. It's pretty cool to be a part of it.”
The 17-race 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season begins with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on Sunday, March 10.